Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that is persistent or offensive and interferes with an student’s or employee's job performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. Sexual harassment is defined by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when, for example: a) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, b) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or c) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.

This Cell functions as the “Complaints Committee” as required by the “Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressed) Acted 2013.” It is also a step towards one of the 17 sustainable development goals. Institute is committed to maintaining a professional learning and working environment for its students, employees and guests. One of the Women Cells mandate is to prevent gender discrimination and inappropriate sexual conduct. This is best achieved through promoting gender sensitivity and justice among all IPR employees.

If an employee feels that he or she is being subjected to sexual harassment he or she may immediately inform the harasser that the conduct is unwelcome and needs to stop. If the inappropriate conduct does not cease, or if the student/ employee are unable to or uncomfortable with addressing the alleged harasser directly, he or she should report the incident to his or her own head of the department or to the Principal of the institute. It is helpful, but not required, to provide a written record of the date, time and nature of the incident(s) and the names of any witnesses.

It is important to report all concerns of sexual harassment or inappropriate sexual conduct to the head of the department or to the Principal of the institute as soon as possible. Management must be made aware of the situation so that it can conduct an immediate and impartial investigation and take appropriate action to remediate or prevent the prohibited conduct from continuing.